imported ring from US. damaged, where do I stand?

wez130

wez130

wez130

Soldato
Joined
31 Jan 2004
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Location
Matakana New Zealand
Hi, I bought a diamond ring from a company called Marchello & co. Based in NYC. I paid the import tax on it etc which was nearly £200.

Within a week, 2 diamonds have literally fallen out of the ring. Needless to say, i'm not happy about it. So before I email the company, I wanted to check where I stand for a refund / replacement. Can I demand the import tax I paid back with a refund? Any other advice you can offer?

Thanks.
 
I imagine there will be a clause somewhere in their terms and conditions stating that any fees or duty to be paid is down to the customer and they cannot be held responsible so I don't imagine there's any chance of you getting that back unless they're feeling very generous.
 
Try here:

What to do if you return the goods after you've paid tax and/or duty

If you return goods to the sender after you've paid duty and/or tax you can ask the UKBA for a refund. You'll need to claim in writing within three months. Write to the address on your charge label and enclose:

the original charge label
the Customs Declaration and the part of the packaging showing your address
a certificate of posting to prove you've sent the goods back

If you can't provide all these, UKBA may reject your claim.
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Sourced from: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/post/paying-tax.htm#3

I doubt you'll be able to get the 'handling charge' back though (that's not usually much more than £9 though I think)
 
Can't imagine HMRC can withhold import duty on something which is returned and refunded. Might not be easy to get the funds back, but I'm sure it's possible.
 
Whats so speical about the ring that you had to buy it from the US and not one of the many reputable shops over here?
 
benjii said:
Trying to get a bargin? Problem is, there are so many more potential headaches to overseas deals like that.
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Overseas isn't really an issue, the complication comes with dealing with a non-EU country.

OP will need to claim his duty back via the Border Agency. If the ring can be repaired you can send it back as a temporary export so that when it comes back in there are no additional duties to pay.
 
rhysduck said:
Whats so speical about the ring that you had to buy it from the US and not one of the many reputable shops over here?
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Storm3y said:
You can get a refund. Not sure why you'd want to buy a ring from the US.
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The design isn't available in this country. It is quite a specific design and marchello and co have a lot of designs not available not available here.
 
wez130 said:
The design isn't available in this country. It is quite a specific design and marchello and co have a lot of designs not available not available here.
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I would have imagined commissioning the design over here would have been simpler than the hassle you now have, but hindsight is wonderful and all that.
 
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